As Uncle was earnestly lecturing Tohru, the magic circle used to search for the residual magical energy of the animal talismans suddenly began to operate on its own again, emitting a faint emerald glow.
Seeing this, Uncle cried out in alarm, "Aiyah! A new demon has appeared!!"
Ignoring the three still-dazed people beside him, Uncle rushed to the magic circle, pulling out a stack of white paper and furiously sketching circles and symbols on it while muttering, "Aiyah, how could it happen so soon? What kind of demon will it be this time..."
Seeing Uncle's anxious expression, Jackie and Tohru exchanged glances, feeling nervous as well. After all, Jackie had seen plenty of strange things, but ever since he came into contact with the Rooster Talisman, his luck seemed to have taken a nosedive.
(And as for why it's Jackie, it's always better to be cautious.)
Talismans, Demon Sorcerers, Dark Chi Wizards—they just kept coming one after another. Who knew what trouble would arise this time?
"Cool!" Jade exclaimed excitedly, tossing aside her textbook. She could hardly wait to rush out and fight the demon herself. "Uncle, where's the demon? Let's go defeat it!"
"Jade... you should be studying," Jackie sighed helplessly as he picked her up. Even though he knew she wouldn't listen, he still tried to reason with her.
"Jackie, go to the library and bring me my Complete Book of Spells," Uncle ordered without looking up.
"Yes, Uncle," Jackie replied immediately.
"And one more thing, Jackie, bring me my tracking amulet."
"Yes, Uncle."
"And another thing, bring me my dried lizard magic ingredient."
"Yes..."
...
Watching Uncle focus entirely on the magic circle, Jackie approached cautiously and asked, "Uncle, have you found the new demon's location yet?"
"I can't say for sure. The divination signs are extremely chaotic—it's impossible to track the demon's movements!" Uncle replied, rubbing his temples. "Perhaps the new demon is still in the process of awakening and hasn't descended upon the world yet. Or maybe my spell isn't working properly... Let me study it a bit more."
"And one more thing, Jackie, you should prepare—"
Beep-beep-beep!
Outside the antique shop, a loud siren suddenly blared.
The next moment, the front door burst open, and Captain Augustus Black rushed in, out of breath. "Jackie! The Enforcers from the Dark Hand have broken out of prison again!"
"Ah... could it be Daolon Wong?" Uncle said, glancing doubtfully at the glowing magic circle. But Daolon Wong shouldn't have the power to trigger such a strong reaction.
"The good news," Captain Augustus Black continued, "is that the Dark Chi Wizard himself didn't escape. According to the guards and surveillance footage, Daolon Wong summoned a strange, living mask."
"So that's it," Uncle murmured, "A new demon born from the imbalance of yin and yang, sustained by Dark Chi energy... That would explain the circle's reaction."
"Magic must be fought with magic," Uncle declared firmly, rejecting Captain Augustus Black's suggestion to call in military support.
Taking the lead, Uncle strode out of the shop and opened the car door. "Aiyah, don't worry about Daolon Wong—he's not important! What matters now is that a stronger, new demon is invading our world!"
"As long as we find the Dark Hand members, we'll find the demon! Let's move quickly!" As Uncle climbed into the car, an ominous feeling crept into his heart.
Daolon Wong... I hope this time's warning really is your doing!
Having no other leads, Uncle could only curse Daolon Wong under his breath. "Honestly, that troublemaker never learns to stay put even after being defeated!"
...
But fate often plays cruel jokes. Across the ocean, in the outskirts of Hong Kong—
In a once-quiet forest, a sudden flash of violet light split the darkness. The ground within ten meters collapsed inward, scorched and cracked, still radiating heat. In the center of the crater, a man with silver-white flowing bangs and dressed in a black uniform knelt on one knee.
"Urgh..." Rising slowly, Liver pressed a hand to his cheek and surveyed his surroundings. "So this... is the 'other world' that the Great General spoke of."
"Now the most important thing is to determine my location and retrieve the nearest mask." Pulling up his sleeve, Liver glanced at the specialized wristwatch Selene had given him. It was said to display precise coordinates—custom-made in a place known as Academy City.
Following the knowledge Selene had implanted in his mind, Liver operated it skillfully. "Connecting GPS... calibrating position... Latitude: 22°26'00.00"N, Longitude: 114°12'00.00"E."
Gradually, the data aligned with the coordinates in his mind. "So, this is Hong Kong... The first mask should be somewhere in this area."
"It's time to move." After confirming his position, Liver lowered his sleeve and narrowed his eyes toward the distant mountain range. His instincts as a warrior tingled. "I can sense it... a strong presence over there."
...
Elsewhere, Tohru led Finn, Chow, Ratso, and Hak Foo—the four Dark Hand enforcers—through the ruins of Shendu's palace. Eventually, they came upon a large treasure chamber, at the center of which stood a massive chest.
Floating in midair, Tarakudo, his orange-toned face framed by a thick white beard, spoke meaningfully. "You may consider this... a gift."
At the sight of the chest, Chow and Ratso hurried over, excitement lighting up their faces. Chow tapped on the golden lid, grinning. "Man, it's like Christmas came early!"
Ratso added eagerly, "Maybe it's filled with treasure!"
With effort, they pushed open the heavy lid. Inside lay a single object—a dark, shadowy mask. Its surface was a deep violet-red, adorned with twin golden horns and dark green fur.
"Shendu once drew his power from this mask to control the Shadowkhan," Tarakudo explained. "And Daolon Wong also used it to command the Dark Hand's shadow army..."
Hovering above the chest, Tarakudo turned toward Finn, his tone silky and enticing. "...Finn, why don't you try it on? See if it suits you?"
As Finn picked up the mask, hesitating as if performing some ancient ritual, two fingers suddenly poked through the eyeholes of the mask. "Finn, wearing random masks is not the right thing to do."
"Ah! You again, Jackie!" Finn roared in frustration. Just when he was about to succeed, Jackie always showed up to ruin everything. "Give it back!"
"Meteor Fist! Elephant Fist! Meteor Double Smash! Elephant Kick! Twin Wind Strike! Dragon Claw!"
As the chaotic scuffle broke out, everyone fought desperately over the mask. But suddenly—rumble!—a thunderous roar echoed through the ruins. From behind the palace, a massive wave surged forward, crashing through the corridors with overwhelming force.
"Water Dragon Possession · Black Marlin!"